Vigorous exercise helps people live longer

Vigorous exercise, the kind that makes you sweat, get red in the face and breathe hard, may be better than moderate exercise when it comes to living longer, researchers said Monday.

07.04.2015

(AFP) Vigorous exercise, the kind that makes you sweat, get red in the
face and breathe hard, may be better than moderate exercise when it
comes to living longer, researchers said Monday.

The study by Australian researchers is based on more than 200,000
adults over age 45, and is published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.

The study participants were followed for more than six years. Those
who did jogging, aerobics or competitive tennis, vigorous exercise
for 30 percent of their weekly workouts, had a mortality rate that was
nine to 13 percent lower than those who did moderate exercise, like
swimming, social tennis, or household chores.

"The benefits of
vigorous activity applied to men and women of all ages, and were
independent of the total amount of time spent being active," said lead
author Klaus Gebel from James Cook University's Centre for Chronic
Disease Prevention.

"The results indicate that whether or not you
are obese, and whether or not you have heart disease or diabetes, if
you can manage some vigorous activity it could offer significant
benefits for longevity."

Currently, the World Health Organization
urges adults to do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75
minutes of vigorous activity per week.

But the current research
suggests that given the choice, people should opt for some higher
intensity exercise if they can, and if their doctor agrees, the study
authors said.

"Our research indicates that even small amounts of vigorous activity could help reduce your risk of early death," Gebel said."For
those with medical conditions, for older people in general, and for
those who have never done any vigorous activity or exercise before, it's
always important to talk to a doctor first."